On Deception Island, an old wooden boat decays on a black sand beach. In the South Shetland Islands near the Antarctic Peninsula, Deception Island has one of the safest harbors in Antarctica. Deception Island is the caldera of an active volcano, which caused serious damage to local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969. The island is now a tourist destination and scientific outpost, with research bases run by Argentina and Spain. The island is administered under the Antarctic Treaty System. The sea surrounding Deception Island is closed by ice from early April to early December.